Borough of Jim Thorpe
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Carbon
Area	14.8 sq mi (38.3 km²)
- land	14.5 sq mi (37.6 km²)
- water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²), 2.03%
Center
- coordinates	40°52′23″N 75°44′11″W / 40.87306, -75.73639Coordinates: 40°52′23″N 75°44′11″W / 40.87306, -75.73639
- elevation	1,519 ft (463 m)
Population	4,804 (2000)
Density	332.1 /sq mi (128.2 /km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code	570
Location of Jim Thorpe in Carbon County
Location of Jim Thorpe in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Website : http://www.jimthorpeborough.org

Jim Thorpe is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 4,804 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County.^[1] The boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk merged and took on the name of Jim Thorpe following the 1953 death of Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe in hopes to attract tourism and other attention to help its economy. The town has been called the "Switzerland of America" due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture; as well as the "Gateway to the Poconos", as can be seen in an old drawing of the town showcased in a local restaurant. The town was founded by the Lehigh Coal Company, and was home to the Mauch Chunk Switchback Gravity Railroad, generally acknowledged as the first roller coaster in the United States.

History

Mauch Chunk (pronounced /ˌmɔk ˈʧʌŋk/) was founded in 1818 by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and rapidly became a railroad and coal-shipping center. The population in 1900 was 4,020 and in 1910 it was 3,952.^[2] The city was the location of the trial of the Molly Maguires in 1876, which resulted in the hanging of four men found guilty of murder.^[3]

The history of the town is inscribed in the architecture that makes up its many 19th century styles. Former resident and architectural historian Hans Egli noted the vast range of architectural styles: Federalist, Greek Revival, Second Empire, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque. Most of these architectural examples remain intact and were only covered in unimaginative "modern" siding that has since been removed.

Robert Venturi, a renowned Philadelphia-based architect, conducted a little-known planning study in the 1970s that attempted to understand the dynamics of historicism and tourism, notions that have come into their own in contemporary times. While Venturi's planning study was unique at the time, it has since become a critical factor in Jim Thorpe's rebound as a functioning and economically stable construct.^[4] Jim Thorpe benefits from tourism initially spurred on by the celebration of its old architecture, which has developed new industries and modern creations. Two of these relative newcomers to the Jim Thorpe area are paintball and white water rafting.^{[citation needed]}

Mauch Chunk Switchback Gravity Railroad

Main article: Mauch Chunk and Summit Hill Switchback Railroad

In 1827, a mining company in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, constructed a 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) downhill track, known as a gravity railroad, to deliver coal (and a miner to operate the mine train's brake) to the Lehigh Canal in Mauch Chunk, PA. This helped open up the area to commerce. By the 1850s, the "Gravity Road" (as it became known) was providing rides to thrillseekers for 50 cents a ride. This is often designated as the first roller coaster in the United States. The Switchback Gravity Railroad Foundation was formed to study the feasibility of preserving and interpreting the remains of the Switchback Gravity Railroad on top of Mount Pisgah.^[5]

Geography

East Jim Thorpe is located at 40°52′23″N, 75°44′11″W.^[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38.3 km²), of which, 14.5 square miles (37.5 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (2.03%) is water. Jim Thorpe is located 3 miles north of Lehighton and 3 miles east of Nesquehoning. Jim Thorpe's elevation is at 1519 feet above sea level.^[7]

Demographics

As of the census^[8] of 2000, there were 4,804 people, 1,967 households, and 1,335 families residing in the borough. The population density was 332.1 people per square mile (128.2/km²). There were 2,193 housing units at an average density of 151.6/sq mi (58.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.36% White, 0.62% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population. A plurality of Jim Thorpe's residents are of Irish descent, typified by the connection to the Molly Maguires and large amount of Irish pride seen throughout the town (e.g. flags).

There were 1,967 households of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $35,976, and the median income for a family was $43,710. Males had a median income of $31,141 versus $23,490 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $17,119. About 7.8% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

Harry Packer Mansion

Jim Thorpe is becoming a tourist destination, with many businesses catering to white water rafting, mountain biking, paintball and hiking. Along with these sports, Jim Thorpe is popular among railroading fans and is known for its extraordinary architecture.

The town is home to the Asa Packer and Harry Packer Mansions. The former was the founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Lehigh University; the latter was Asa's son. Both mansions sit next to one another on a hill overlooking downtown Jim Thorpe. The Asa Packer Mansion is a museum and has been conducting tours since Memorial Day of 1956. The Harry Packer Mansion is a bed and breakfast.

Jim Thorpe is home to the Anthracite Triathlon, an Olympic distance triathlon open to amateur and professional triathletes. The swim portion occurs in Mauch Chunk Lake. The bike course takes riders through the mining towns of Summit Hill, Nesquehoning, Lansford and Jim Thorpe. The running portion of the course is generally along the former alignment of a historic switchback railroad.^[9]

Gallery

St. Mark's Episcopal Church	Train station	Hotel Switzerland	Historic buildings on Broadway
Intersection of Broadway and Lehigh Ave.	Clock tower at the same intersection	Carbon County prison on Broadway

External links

• Borough of Jim Thorpe
• Tourist and Business Information
• Mauch Chunk Historical Society
• The Asa Packer Mansion Museum

References

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Carbon County, Pennsylvania County seat: Jim Thorpe Boroughs Beaver Meadows | Bowmanstown | East Side | Jim Thorpe | Lansford | Lehighton | Nesquehoning | Palmerton | Parryville | Summit Hill | Weatherly | Weissport Townships Banks | East Penn | Franklin | Kidder | Lausanne | Lehigh | Lower Towamensing | Mahoning | Packer | Penn Forest | Towamensing CDPs Tresckow | Weissport East

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